Off the Beaten Path in Paris: Window Shopping at Boulevard Saint Germain

Forget the over-hyped Champs Elysées, aside from the Arc de Triomphe, and a club-like Abracombe and Fitch, it’s a place for walking not actual shopping. Instead, take a stroll down boulevard Saint Germain and take in some of Paris’ most delightful window displays. My favourite has always been the window of the Sonya Rykiel boutique, which is always extremely creative and a little bit shocking. If you wander into the side streets, you’ll discover unique French boutiques whose prices won’t even break your bank!

Located on the Left Bank, a short distance from the Musee D’Orsay, the Marais district and Latin Quarter, it’s home to many Paris-exclusive stores, and while very busy on the weekend, hasn’t seen the influx of H&Ms and McDonalds’ that the Camps Elysees has 

If planning a visit, it’s an easy walk from the Eiffel Tower on the west. Or I recommend, if in the mood for a mixture of shopping and sightseeing, first checking out Bastille area before crossing the Seine and the Ils St. Louis to the Left Bank and making your way long the boulevard towards the Latin Quarter. You’ll cross paths with the Arab World Institute at Sorbonne University once on the Left Bank, another highly recommended Off the Beaten Track location.